Winter vegetables arrive in Dhaka markets but prices stay high: new potatoes Tk 160, local tomatoes up to Tk 220

Winter vegetables have begun arriving in markets in the capital. But although the new vegetables are available, buyers find no relief because of high prices. A visit to Mohammadpur Town Hall Market on Friday (30 October) found new potatoes selling at Tk 160 per kg and local tomatoes at Tk 180 to Tk 220.

Most vegetables are priced between Tk 60 and Tk 140 per kg, but several items including ridge gourd, aubergine, teasel gourd, beans and tomatoes are selling for more than Tk 100. Vegetable trader Ramiz Uddin said new potatoes are selling at Tk 160 per kg, adding that when a new vegetable or product first arrives in the market, its price is somewhat higher at the start.

Vegetable buyer Siddiqur Rahman said he sees on television that no one is buying bottle gourd even for five taka, yet in the capital's markets no bottle gourd can be found below Tk 70 to Tk 80. Most vegetables cost around Tk 100. Prices are usually supposed to fall when winter comes, but this time he is seeing the opposite picture.

A market visit found cauliflower and cabbage at Tk 60 per kg, ridge gourd at Tk 100, bottle gourd at Tk 60 to Tk 80, pointed gourd at Tk 60, long aubergine at Tk 100 and round aubergine at Tk 120. Teasel gourd is Tk 100, taro Tk 80, radish Tk 70, okra Tk 80, carrot Tk 140, beans Tk 100, ordinary tomatoes Tk 120 and local tomatoes Tk 180 to Tk 220.

Papaya and sweet pumpkin are available at comparatively lower prices, at Tk 30 and Tk 40 per kg respectively. Green chillies are Tk 140, olives Tk 80 and new potatoes Tk 160 per kg.

In the chicken market, broiler chicken is selling at Tk 190 per kg, while Sonali chicken costs Tk 310 to Tk 320 per kg. Broiler eggs are selling at Tk 140 per dozen for brown eggs and Tk 130 for white eggs.

Fish prices are also high. At comparatively lower prices, pangas is Tk 230 per kg and tilapia Tk 260. Rui is Tk 350, pabda Tk 400, farmed shing Tk 450 and bayla Tk 550.

Large katla costs Tk 600 to Tk 800 per kg, tangra Tk 700, ayre Tk 700 to Tk 1,250 and bain Tk 900 to Tk 1,200. Local shing is selling at Tk 1,000 per kg. Large prawns cost Tk 1,400 per kg, and sea pangas is selling at Tk 1,200.

Hilsa is also expensive. A 900-gram hilsa is selling at Tk 2,000 to Tk 2,200 per kg, while a one-kilogram hilsa costs Tk 2,600.

Fish trader Mozammel said sea fish always costs more and does not sell below a thousand. Local fish is also expensive, and even farmed fish costs more than Tk 200. He said he is selling ayre today at Tk 700 to Tk 1,250 per kg.

However, a buyer named Azad Rahman said fish prices at Town Hall Market are a little higher than in other markets in Mohammadpur, but fresh fish is available there despite the higher price.